When Did We Start Grieving for Our DOGS?

When Did We Start Grieving for Our DOGS?

From Tony Robinson's Cunningcast by Tony Robinson

November 13, 2025 · 24 min · Season 3 · Episode 10

About this episode

Tony Robinson and his guests discuss the evolving attitudes towards dogs and the mourning of their deaths.

In this bonus episode, Tony and his guests the veterinary scientist Daniel Mills and dog historian Stephanie Howard-Smith discuss how our attitudes towards dogs, and mourning their deaths, have evolved. We hear about the dog paintings of Edwin Landseer from Stephanie and how dogs read human emotions and 'love' us in their own way from Daniel. Together they discuss how growing empathy, affluence, and changing culture have transformed our bond with dogs from practical companionship to heartfelt connection, whose loss is deeply felt and openly mourned. As Stephanie says, ‘would it be heaven if your dog wasn’t there?’   Hosted by Sir Tony Robinson | Instagram @sirtonyrobinson   Producer: Melissa FitzGerald | X @melissafitzg   With   Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine, University of Lincoln | https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/researchatlincoln/meetourexperts/danielmills/   Daniel Mills is a leading UK-based veterinary behavioural medicine specialist at the University of Lincoln, recognised internationally for his work on companion animal behaviour, cognition, and welfare. He is known for his "psychobiological approach," which integrates…

People in this episode

Host: Tony Robinson

Guests: Daniel Mills, Stephanie Howard-Smith

Topics covered

  • grief
  • dogs
  • human-animal bond
  • mourning
  • empathy
  • cultural attitudes

Keywords

  • grieving
  • dogs
  • empathy
  • companion animals
  • cultural change
  • animal emotions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Lincoln

Books & works: dog paintings of Edwin Landseer

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